1 lb. lean ground beef (use beef with less than 10% fat for South Beach Diet)
2 tsp. + 1 tsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 T minced garlic (or less if you're not that crazy about garlic)
6 cups homemade beef stock (or use 3 cans beef broth and a little water to make 6 cups)
4 cups vegetable stock (or 2 cans vegetable broth and a little water to make 4 cups)
2 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup finely chopped carrots
1/2 cup pearl barley
1-2 T balsamic vinegar (add 1 T, then taste to see if you want to use more)
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste